Becoming Elena Zabini
by Nefertari Tonks
Summary: When Hermione finds her parents murdered in their living room a blast of accidental magic from her spurs the DMLE into action. What they find out is way bigger than she could ever image: she is a witch and adopted. Her biological parents and a twin brother can't wait to get her back. How will Hermione, raised without magic, deal with living as Elena Zabini, a pureblooded witch.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey everyone. So I stumbled upon a few fanfics that described Hermione finding out after the second Wizarding War that she was actually a Pureblood and had grown up in the Muggle world for her protection. I loved the idea but they had some serious issues in plausibility and grammar. I am not saying there aren't good fanfics about this out there or trying to diminish the effort of those writers, I'm merely trying to state that I think the story could have been done better - which is what I want to try here although from a bit of a different angle. If you don't like it, stop reading and tell me why, if you do, continue reading and tell me what I can do better! I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _19-07-1991_

It was a particularly nice summer day in Kingston upon Thames, London, as if the weather wanted to join in on the joy of all students as today was the last day of school.  
The clock struck one and the school bell of Latchmere School rang only minutes before cheering children came running out of the school's door. They were picked up by parents or found themselves together in groups to walk home. Just as the schoolyard started to empty out one of the leaves of the school door opened again to reveal a single girl.

She swept her bushy brown hair out of the way to stuff a book in her crammed backpack. When she succeeded she looked up to see that she was the last person there. She sighed heavily but a thought seemed to enter her mind that cheered her up significantly. She had just remembered that she would start secondary school in September and had every intention of making friends there. She could start all over, no one would now that she was 'Nerdy Hermy the beaver'. She would show those bullies that Hermione Granger could have friends!

Her head held high she started her way home. The beautiful weather made her look forward to the camping trip to the Forest of Dean her parents had planned for this summer. She couldn't wait to show her parents her school report. They would be so proud of her.

When she rounded a corner the Granger family home came into view and Hermione happily started skipping her gloomy thoughts from before already forgotten.  
She finally jumped up their garden path taking a longing gander at the swing set. Later, she promised herself. At that moment she stopped in her tracks. Why was the front door halfway ajar?

The little girl carefully stepped closer to it. "Mummy?" she called out hesitantly giving the door a slight nudge. It swung back and revealed a puddle of shiny, red liquid on the floor. "Dad?" Hermione's voice was a mere whisper her fear clearly audible. She took a small step forward, another one and the living room came into view.

She blinked. Cocked her head. Blinked again. And then the full meaning of what she saw hit her. She fell to her knees not noticing the red liquid she now understood to be her parents' blood soaking her pants. Tears streamed down her face as deep sorrow raged through her body eating up all her happy feelings until it was the only thing remaining.

She let out an agonised scream, so loud it could be heard in the whole street, but her pain didn't lessen. Her whole body was shaking as her grief threatened to consume her but before he could she finally noticed that she was kneeling in her parents blood. Horror spread through her and as her little body couldn't bear it anymore she let out another piercing scream and with it escaped something else.

The neighbors had been alerted by Hermione's first scream and where standing on street grouped together trying to figure out what had happened. They all whirled their head's around as her second scream sounded and started to run towards the Granger house only to be thrown back by a shock wave. When they sat back up they didn't believe their eyes.

The house of the Granger family lay in ruins, debris was scattered all over the plot except for a clean circle where the living room used to be.  
In its middle kneeled the crying Hermione over the dead bodies of her parents.

XxoOoxX

"Are you telling me that that little girl in there did it?" Amelia Bones asked her colleague disbelievingly. "The whole house is in ruins!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded. "I can't believe it myself. She is supposed to start Hogwarts this fall, her letter would have arrived on Monday. The size of the explosion suggests that she is going to be a very powerful witch. But, Amelia, she found her parents brutally murdered...she hasn't reacted to anything and she has been sitting like this for almost an hour." He pointed at Hermione through the window of the examination room. She was hugging her knees to her chest rocking back and forth her face hidden behind her hair.

"Have the witnesses been taken care of?"

"Yes, we obliviated all of them planting the memory that a gas explosion destroyed the house and killing the Grangers in the process." Amelia nodded starting to walk away but the man held her back. "That's not all."

Amelia gave him a questioning look. "There's more?"

"Her parents ar- were muggles and as far as we could find out the Grangers didn't know any witches or wizards but we had a healer examine her and he found a very powerful glamour charm on her."

Amelia gave him a dumbfounded look - again. "How is that possible?"

Shacklebolt merely shrugged just as clueless as she was. "All we could find out that it was probably placed on her directly upon birth. It is so strong the healer couldn't break it."

"Hm. Has anyone checked whether the Grangers are her biological parents?" Amelia asked an idea forming inside her head.

Kingsley raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you thinking she is adopted?"

"Or abducted. Something shady was definitely involved otherwise someone wouldn't have gone through the trouble of placing a strong glamour charm on a newborn. Have the healer test for any biological relationship and get someone here who can break that glamour charm! Maybe her looks will provide some insight. After all they seem to be worth hiding. I'll go talk to her. Find out if she knows about magic, try to calm her down."

Two hours later Amelia had finally gotten some information out of the girl. She had no idea that magic existed or that she had caused the explosion. She also seemed to think that her parents were her actual, biological parents.

A knock sounded at the door and a man in robes entered the room. Amelia stood to talk to him and he silently told her that he was here about the glamour charm. The woman turned back around to the girl and took her hand. "Hermione? This man here works with me. He is going to do some things that will seem weird to you but it's alright. He's not going to hurt you. Okay?" Hermione nodded staring at the strangely dressed man with big eyes. Amelia gave him some room and he took his wand out and started to mumble incantations. As nothing happened the girl looked at Amelia and she gave her an encouraging smile.

After a few minutes sweat started to build up on the man's forehead but he continued to mumble under his breath his eyes closed in concentration. Hermione grew nervous as her skin started to feel as if she was pinched all over and she felt really hot.  
Suddenly a loud bang sounded and the girl started twitching uncontrolled. The man let out a victorious yelp and opened his eyes. Waves of pain rolled through Hermione's body and she screamed as her body changed until she fainted. When she stopped moving she had grown a few inches, she had smooth, dark skin, high cheekbones and her formerly bushy, brown hair was now wavy, shiny and raven-hued. Amelia stared at her her mouth agape.

The man equally immediately recognized the family similarities. "I don't believe it! She looks exactly like th-"

Amelia interrupted him. "Don't! How long until she wakes up?"

"Probably a few hours, it was a big transformation and her body needs rest, but.."

"Thank you, sir. You did your job well." Amelia cut him off again ushering him out of the room. As soon as she closed the door behind her she turned to her colleague.  
"Kingsley. I have to leave to take care of something. Don't let anyone in that room!" And with that she disapparated.


	2. A new family

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and your kind comments! I don't know when I will be able to update the next time since I have important exams coming up but I will try to fit in some writing time. Please remember I do not own any of the characters or the world, this great honour belongs to J.K. Rowling herself.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and can't wait to read your reviews! xx

* * *

 **Chapter One – A new family**

I felt dead inside. Everything I thought I knew about my life had been a lie. Even the familiar reflection I had seen every time I had looked in a mirror. Another short glance to the full-length mirror on the wall showed me a stranger. My bushy brown hair had been replaced by raven-hued waves that fell smoothly over my shoulders. A freckled light brown complexion had been changed to smooth olive skin. My teeth were perfect white rows behind full, almost heart-shaped, soft lips and instead of warm brown eyes cold and calculating appearing, steel-grey ones that seemed almost silver when catching the light stared back at me.

How could this be me? All my life I had wished for normal teeth or smoother hair but now I just wanted something to feel familiar even if it were my buck teeth. Standing in the middle of this expensive looking but unfamiliar room not daring to touch anything I searched myself for any remains of my life, my self but all I could find was coldness. All that was left of my feelings was anger. Anger towards the unknown man who had murdered my parents, anger at these people claiming to be my family. But my family was dead.

 _2 hours earlier_

"Hermione?" The woman from earlier was back. Couldn't she just leave her alone? "Hermione, I need to talk to you." She sat down in a chair next to the bed I was sitting on.  
"Have you noticed that you look different?" It was kind of hard not to notice...my skin looked black in comparison to this morning. I nodded waiting for her to continue, explain. "Well, you see you are a witch, Hermione. So am I. Magic exists and if today's events wouldn't have happened a Professor from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have visited you next week to explain everything to you and offer you a place at Hogwarts." Me, a witch? It sounded extremely unlikely but somehow I believed her. I don't know why.

When I didn't react to that she continued. "When you found your ... parents today you were in a lot of pain and your magic got out of control. That's what caused the explosion and attracted the attention of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic. I work there and was sent to investigate what happened." I still didn't react. Adults often beat about the bush so it's usually best to just let them finish. "When we examined you we found a so called glamour charm on you." Now she was getting to the point. "It is a spell that changes someone's looks. The one we found on you was very strong and seemed to have been placed on you directly upon birth. This raised some questions since your parents didn't have any contact to magical people. We managed to break the curse and your true looks emerged. I immediately saw a family resemblance to someone I knew and contacted them." A family resemblance? What was she trying to say? A bad feeling spread through me but I denied the truth that seemed to creep up on me.

"You were adopted by your parents, Hermione. Your true family had to give you away to protect you from an evil wizard and couldn't find you after he was defeated. They are looking forward to meeting you and your mother is waiting outside. Do you want to meet her?"  
I still didn't let any reaction show but my insides were churning. My true family? My mother? My mother wasn't outside that door, my mother was dead. Dead, dead, dead. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to keep the images away but I still saw here lying on our living room floor. I heard the door open, then close and then someone started to sob. "Oh my. She looks so much like him." The voice sounded strangely familiar but I still kept my eyes shut tight. "My poor little baby!" Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me. I stiffened. "Elena, sweety? I am your mother."

That was when I panicked.

 _Now_

Thinking back a deep satisfaction filled me. When she had said that I completely freaked hitting and scratching her until the other woman – Amelia – had taken out a wooden stick and said something. Everything around me immediately went dark.  
When I had woken up the woman who claimed to be my mother and a man were leaning over me. They were both beautiful people with almost regal features. He had jet-black short hair and grey-blue eyes while she had auburn hair and brown eyes. Both stared down at me with worried looks on their faces and when I opened my eyes immediately moved away to give me some space.

I had sat up confused as to what had happened and where I was. To my query the man started to explain. Their names were Victoria and Blaxton Zabini and they were a witch and wizard. Also apparently my biological parents. Upon finding out that Victoria was pregnant they had been overjoyed but a very evil wizard they called the 'Dark Lord' claimed that women were weak and wanted his followers to dispose of female children immediately after birth. This part sounded rather implausible. I mean who would kill their newborn child just because some guy said so? But apparently the 'Dark Lord' had been extremely powerful and would know when lied to so they defied him in the only way they knew: They put a glamour charm on me to hide any family resemblance and brought me to a muggle – non-magical – orphanage. That whole affair opened their eyes about the evil guy and they secretly joined the good people fighting him and spied on him until he was defeated. But when they tried to get me back I had already been adopted and the people at the orphanage didn't know by who as a big fire had destroyed all their files.  
They also told me that I had a twin brother Blaise. It was this piece of news that threw me into shock and caused me to black out again.

The next time I woke up I was in this room. This was five minutes ago. I had immediately stood up from the bed – it looked way too expensive to be used just like everything else in this room – and since then had been standing here, in the middle of the room, trying to figure out how my life had been completely turned around in only one day.

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. I waited. Another knock. Apparently they were waiting for an answer. "Yes?" I said and the door opened revealing a boy. It was the strangest feeling to look at him as he looked like the male version of this stranger I saw every time I glanced at the mirror.

He seemed just as flabbergasted as me. "Wow", he simply said. We both took a step towards each other too stunned to say anything else. I cocked my head and he an inquisitive eyebrow at me. He had exactly the same steel-grey eyes as my new reflection – which means me, I know, but I still wasn't used to the idea – but they didn't feel as cold and calculating as the one's staring back at me from the mirror. "I didn't really believe it when mum and dad said I had a twin sister but how could I not believe it when you look so much like me?" He finally said. Then he stepped forward and extended his hand to me. "I'm Blaise."

I contemplatively stared at it for a second before closing the remaining gap between us and taking it. "Hermione. Do you live here?" He nodded.

"Yes. My room is right across the hall. Do you want to see it?" I shrugged. I didn't really care, I still felt weirdly numb and angry at the same time but I kept the anger closed off from my mind. I needed all my wit to deal with this new situation. The time for me to deal with it would come but it was not now.

Following Blaise across the hallway I realised that the room I had woken up in was not out of place in its expensive appearance. The hall and the room I entered now had the same heavy furniture and mahogany parquet flooring although this new room actually looked like a kid was living here. A jacket was hanging over the chair in front of a desk, several posters and banners of the 'Montrose Magpies', apparently some kind of sports team, covered the walls and a bookshelf held in between others many colourful volumes that were definitely children's books. A huge four-poster bed with emerald green linen stood against the left wall while an enormous wardrobe covered the whole wall left of the door. Next to the desk on the right side of the room was the big book shelf with two wing chairs in the same colour as the bedding in front of it. The walls were green as well with a silver border near the with stucco decorated ceiling.

"It's nice. A lot of green." I said politely.

His face lit up. "Yeah, I know. Mum wanted to put a brighter colour on the walls but I wanted green and silver because they are the Slytherin colours." I had no idea what this 'Slytherin' was but I didn't ask about it. Instead I inquired what the 'Montrose Magpies' were guessing that he would like to talk about them. Judging by the amount of fan merchandise in here he was quite a big fan. I was proved right as he immediately dove into an enthusiastic monologue about them. They seemed to be a 'Quiditch' team – I had no clue what this 'Quiditch' was supposed to be but I guess it had to be a type of sport – and won some championship quite often.

I hate sports. I mean sure I get why you play – it's healthy and a lot of people seem to think it's fun, God knows why – but why would someone want to watch other people stupidly play a ball to each other across a net? After what seemed like forever he finally stopped talking.

"What do you like to do?" he asked curiously. Right now I would like to go home, but that was not possible for the obvious reason: I had destroyed my family's house. And even if it still stood there would be nothing there for me with my parents being dead and all. So I did the only reasonable thing: I answered.

"I like to read." He seemed to expect more so I continued. "We also have a swing set in our garden I like to play on. My dad likes to do handicrafts in his free time and I help him sometimes. One time we assembled a radio together and another time we built a nightstand for my room."

"That's so cool!" He said animatedly. He seemed to be an overall very enthusiastic person. "What do you usually do with your friends?" A flicker of loneliness broke through the cold inside of me before vanishing again. Dropping my feigned interest in the conversation I merely shrugged. As I didn't answer the silence stretched and Blaise started to shift uncomfortably. "Soo are you hungry or something? Dinner should be ready by now." I shrugged again not really caring about food. My anger threatened to bubble to the surface as I was remembered of my lack of friends and excess of bullies. But one day I would show them all! One day no one would bully Hermione Granger! I swore myself that a long time ago.

Our arrival in the dining room pulled me out of my thoughts. The people who claimed to be my parents – well after seeing Blaise I couldn't really deny at least a biological relationship but DNA alone doesn't make a mom or dad – were seated facing each other with the man at the head of the dinner table in front of (another) marble fireplace. The table was set with delicate plates, shining silverware and crystal glasses. Blaise motioned for me to sit and walked around the table to take his place opposite from me. This seemed way to fancy for a simple family dinner. At home we would all sit at one end of the table talking about the day we each had and sharing stories.

As soon as I sat down two small creatures entered the room with bowls and plates of food floating in front of them. They had weirdly large heads with bat-like ears and big, bulging eyes. Each had one of their long fingers pointed at the dishes in front of them. When I got over the shock of their looks I realized what they were wearing: They looked like old sheets tied together at the shoulders. Immediately after letting the dishes sink onto the table they bowed and vanished and I was left staring at the spot where they had stood a mere second earlier.

Mrs Zabini noticed my bafflement and explained.  
"Those two are our house-elves Betsy and Hort. House-elves are bound to their owners for life and can only be set free by being given clothes by their master. Don't look so shocked, my dear, they live to serve. In fact they are devastated when they feel of no use to us. You'll see." I put on my poker face like dad had taught me and didn't voice my opinion. But on the inside I was raging. This was disgusting! Those poor creatures were living in slavery!

Everyone else didn't waste a second thinking about the cooks but helped themselves to some food. I, however, didn't touch a thing. When Mr Zabini noticed he darted a look at his wife who immediately asked me if something was wrong. My simple shake of the head didn't seem to satisfy them so I said "I'm not hungry. May I be excused?" I might not like these people but my parents had taught me well. And after all you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

I could see Mr Zabini's disapproval in the way his jaw tightened and Blaise seemed disappointed for some reason but Mrs Zabini gave me an understanding smile. "Of course, dear. Feel free to explore the house for a bit if you want."

Immediately getting up I forced myself to smile at her and left the room as quickly as I could without revealing my eagerness to get out of there.  
Walking through the ground floor of the house or rather mansion, it was really large and elegant, I already had a goal. This whole new world was just one unanswered question after the other but there was one question I could find the answer to, no I _had_ to find the answer to.

Now where was this damn kitchen?


	3. Blaise

**A/N:** Hey guys. First of all thank you for all the positive feedback! I can't tell you how much it means to me! Thank you for pointing out that Blaise is black, I hadn't even thought about it - I changed it but everyone is of course welcome to imagine everyone in this story the way they wish.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't hate me for updating so slowly...I'm really bad at time management.

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 **Chapter Two – Blaise**

The two house-elves were uncomfortably submissive and insisted on calling me 'mistress'. I didn't like it but they seemed contend with the way they lived. Apparently their owners, the Zabini family, didn't abuse them; they simply ignored them except for giving orders. The two slept in a small cupboard under the basement stairs where they had assorted some old sheets to make it a bit more comfortable. When I asked if they wanted to be free not property they hysterically started crying, begging me not to give them clothes, and pleading that they would work harder if they were given another chance.  
It took me almost ten minutes to assure them I wouldn't give them any clothes against their will.  
While the idea was foreign to me, I realised that they were happy working and cleaning for the family all day but I was determined to better their living conditions. They might not be able to wear real clothes but at least they could wear clean sheets and sleep on something more comfortable than a few old sheets!

I was just about to go back into "my" room, when I heard my name being called. Turning around I found Blaise at the end of the hall walking towards me.

"Where have you been?" he asked me. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I was talking to Betsy and Hort." I simply stated.

"Oh. Alright." he fidgeted nervously and then blurted out. "Doyowadosothitomorrw?"

"Pardon?" I hadn't understood a word.

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something tomorrow?" Surprised I took a step back which he took as a rejection immediately starting to backpedal.  
"I mean you don't have to or anything, I don't even care, I just thou-"

He looked so hurt and disappointed that I simply couldn't take it. There was something disturbing about seeing a face so similar to your own - even if still unfamiliar - wearing such a pained expression. "Alright. What did you want to do?" I interrupted his torrent of words.

"Wh-what?" he looked dumbfounded for a second before breaking into a smile. "You really do? That's great! I didn't even think that far..hm.. I could show you around the house and the garden for a bit and oooh!" Now he seemed quite ecstatic. He seriously was quick with his mood swings and definitely seemed to be extremely emotional. "I could show you how to play Quidditch!"

Now it was my turn to look dumbfounded - not a good look for me if his face was any indication. "Qui-what?"

"Quidditch! It's the wizarding sport I told you about before in my room? It's played on brooms." Oh right. He had talked about that. Wait - didn't he say something about the players flying?!

"You want me to fly on a broomstick?!" My voice might have sounded just a teeny bit squeaky but who could blame me? For a girl that's some days hardly able to walk without tripping, flying on a stick without any safety precautions isn't really the best idea.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Betsy always watches me when I practice and she can protect us from falling." I really, _really_ didn't want to fly, but for some reason a small corner of my otherwise weirdly emotionless heart wanted him to keep smiling.

"Okay, I'll try. But if I don't like it we'll stop!"

"Deal!" he grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Soo what are you doing now?"

"Nothing, but I was wondering if there was some kind of wizarding world library where I could go?" I remembered what I had started to plan before he had come up to me.

"No, but you can just use ours." He stated without a blink of his eye.

"You have a whole library?!" Me: looking dumbfounded again.

"Sure. It's right behind those doors down the hall." He pointed towards a big oak double door. "Want me to show you?"

"I think I can manage walking down the hall on my own." I said not planning on sounding so harsh but libraries always made me think of my parents. We had spent hours together in the public library reading away rainy days. Seeing his face fall again - seriously: way too many mood swings - though, I added, almost unwillingly, a "Thank you" in a softer tone before walking past him.

I barely paid any attention to the room when I walked in, deep in memories of my family. But when I looked up I was immediately jolted out of them.  
The library was a giant room with book cases from floor to the six metres high ceiling, only interrupted by huge arched windows on three walls and a marble fireplace directly across from the doors and even more half-height book cases stood in rows throughout the room. The parquet flooring was covered by emerald carpets and green sofas and wing chairs were grouped around the fireplace with small side tables next to them.  
To the right of the doors was a table with a big open book on it and when I stepped closer I realized that it was an index. I skimmed the pages looking for something that could help me when a title caught my eye. "Ha! Okay, where are you?"  
I went around the room looking for the right rack running my fingers along the book spines. Two hours later I had three sides of notes written down. Exhausted from my intense research I left the library and went back to my designated room.

Not even bothering to change out of my clothes I fell on the bed immediately falling asleep.

XxoOoxX

An ear-deafening scream echoed through the Zabini manor early the next morning. The two house-elves immediately appeared in the room of its origin finding the young Mistress wrapped up in her sheets thrashing her arms and legs about trying to get free. Her face was tearstained and she sobbed heartbreakingly calling out for her parents.

"No! Mum, Dad! Wake up!" My whole world was shaking. No, not my world only I was shaking. I noticed simultaneously that I had been dreaming and that I was striking out wildly. Immediately stopping I opened my eyes wide seeing the female house-elve shaking me.

"Missy, missy, you have to wake up!" She was just calling out when she realised that I was awake. "Oh, Mistress, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Betsy. Thank you for waking me." I said weakly even though I felt even more exhausted than when I went to bed and my head was hurting. Rubbing my face I was surprised to find it wet.  
"Wha-"I was about to ask when the memory of my dream hit me. My parents, lying in their blood. I remembered the scene clearer than anything else in my whole life.  
How the vase of sunflowers on the table had fallen over, how the dust flowed in the sunlight shining through the windows, how half of the beige carpet was now a deep red.

I shivered with the memory when suddenly the door burst open.  
"Elena! Elena, are you alright?" Mrs Zabini hurried to my side knocking Betsy off the bed without even noticing. I cringed at the name and almost gave her a rude answer but her panicked face, and maybe even more so Blaise's silhouette in the doorframe, stopped me. Simply nodding I started to fight my way out of the sheets that were wrapped around my body.

"Betsy, get her out of those sheets." Mrs Zabini commanded and looked around for the house-elf. She had just scrambled back to her feet and hurried to follow the order vanishing the sheets with a snap of her long fingers.  
My thanks to her was interrupted by the lady of the house's arms wrapping around me. I stiffened and looked over her shoulder to where Blaise stood in green silk pyjamas. He looked worried but when our eyes met he gave me a small smile.

"Mom, you can stop hugging her, she's okay." He said taking up on my discomfort. Surprisingly she listened to him and let go of me. She smiled at me and got up from the bed dusting off her already clean clothes and clearing her throat.

"Since we're all awake, why don't we get ready and have breakfast in half an hour?" she asked cheerfully - apparently mood swings were a thing in this house.

"That sounds like a good idea, mom." Blaise agreed with her and stepped aside to give the way to the door free. Once she had left he smiled at me again.

"Are you alright, Hermione? I mean as alright as you can be.", he asked, surprising me when he didn't call me Elena. "Did you dream about your parents?" he shocked me even further. Saying this, he was the first person to truly acknowledge my family.

Tears filled my eyes and suddenly all the pain and the sorrow came rushing back, filling my chest and pushing back the anger that had settled there. I started to cry, barely able to breathe in between heavy sobs, burying my face in my hands.  
Suddenly something touched my shoulder and when I looked up I saw Blaise, standing next to me looking bloody uncomfortable and sympathetic at the same time, his hand lying on my shoulder in what I suppose was meant as a comforting gesture.  
Not thinking clearly, or rather not thinking at all, I forgot that he was practically a stranger and threw myself into his arms. For the blink of an eye he froze but then he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, letting me cry into his chest.

"I'm sorry you have to go through that, I'm sure they were wonderful people. Do you want to tell me about them?" Calm seemed to practically radiate off him, helping me to slowly stop crying until I finally moved back and looked him in the eye.

"They were the best parents one could wish for. Always encouraging me and telling me how much they loved. My dad used to play poker with me and we always ended up getting the giggles because I caught him cheating every single time." A sad smile creeps onto my face and I sniffle. "Thank you. It helped to finally cry."

I'm about to stand up when a question comes to my mind. "Why are you so calm and sympathetic about my parents? Shouldn't you be angry that I still call them that, practically dismissing our relationship?"

I immediately regret asking as I realise how insensitive the question is but he just smiles and answers without any hesitation.  
"Well, we have a blood relation – I never heard you deny that – but no one can expect you to simply forget about your emotional relationship with them and lack of it with us. I would be heartbroken if my parents died and wouldn't love them any less if someone told me they weren't my biological parents. I mean it wouldn't erase the years they loved and raised me. That's just how I guessed you might feel." Speechless I merely looked at him amazed at the way he had just managed to put it all into words, almost as a sideline.

I managed a small smile and even chuckled when his face lit up with a wide smile. He squeezed my hand.  
"Do you feel like having breakfast?" Before I could open my mouth to answer my stomach growled loudly rendering whatever I was about to say redundant.

He laughed and stood up. "Well, that's answer enough. I'll let you get dressed then." I smiled again but my face fell when I realised something.

"I don't have any clothes.." I said remembering my blown up home.

Without even turning around Blaise called over his shoulder while walking out "Yes, you do. The whole closets yours." And with a wink he closed the door.

I warily looked at the second door he had pointed at and slowly walked over to it. Carefully wrapping my hand around the doorknob I pulled it open and gasped. This wasn't a closet this was another full room! Shelves and rails full of clothes – normal ones and weird ones that looked like smaller versions of what the magical adults I had met so far had worn.

"What kind of person needs that many clothes?" I exclaimed overwhelmed. This was just too much for one person.  
Trying to find something comfortable to wear, knowing full well I promised Blaise to fly this morning, I walked around the room. After five minutes of studying clothes that looked way too expensive and elaborate to be worn by a child unless for a wedding or some other fancy party, I finally managed to find simple jeans and a knitted jumper. After changing I looked around the bedroom more closely.

The walls were painted in a pastel rose that made me flinch. I hated pastel colours. They were like cheerless copies of real colours sucking all the energy out of a room. In between the doors to the hallway and the closet was a heavy empty bookshelf made from the same dark wood as the four-poster bed standing against the wall next to it. The wall opposite from the bed held a floor length mirror and a third door and in the corner stood a beige armchair with an antic side table next to it. A huge bay window dominated the last wall letting the morning sun in and offering a view over a huge garden and beautiful countryside.

It was the only thing in the room making it remotely comfortable for me. Everything else just seemed so foreign and not-me that I didn't want to spend another minute there so I went and opened the third door. It led to a small bathroom I then used for my morning routines before walking downstairs to the dining room I remembered from the evening before.


End file.
